Persecution of Ahmadiyya Islam

Years ago in Pakistan, Ahmadiyya Islam was regarded as part of Islam and there was no problem. The dreadful time when the country was broken into half and the eastern part became another country, that is Bangladesh, was a turning point. The political star of the governing party, in what was a fledgling democracy, was doomed. Something had to be done promptly to gain back the support of the masses or else power was slipping away. Someone came up with the answer: whip up frenzy among the illiterate masses. Unschooled in worldly as well as religious education, call on their so-called ‘religious honour’, create riots and have the Ahmadi Muslims declared as non-Muslims. Ahmadis, because with their peaceable ways, and their understanding of faith as it was meant to be, they posed a real ‘threat’ to the growing politicised version of Islam. The government had to be seen to be ‘defending Islam’ to gain the support of the masses. Wars with India were over and in the absence of any ‘visible threat’ to Islam, one had to be crafted. And so the injustice of passing legislature to nullify the belief of Ahmadi Muslims began. Although many Ahmadis were persecuted in the troubles that ensued, the ripple effect of this travesty was little in the wider community.

A few years passed, government changed (was overthrown) and an army despot took over. Wishing to impress his mark further on the frenzied masses, he went that much further and passed an ordinance making it almost impossible to practice one’s belief in Pakistan as an Ahmadi Muslim. The details are outrageous. Even at this critical time, the general people of Pakistan did not care and Ahmadis lived in comparative peace. However, as the country edged its way towards extremism and radicalisation, the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan; first the Russian and then the American invasion playing a huge part in the change, slowly things became intolerable for Ahmadis. The militant, extremist mullah devised his own version of Islam, indeed had been devising it for years, but in the recent past, he made it into an art form. The radical, criminal extremists within the religion of Islam have only one aim; to cling to power and power in a country like Pakistan mostly comes from support of the masses. ‘Personalities’, not policies work. Therefore, creating religious hysteria is most effective, abusing illiteracy of the disadvantaged, giving them a ‘purpose’ to carry on. Dreadful, appalling things are done in the name of Islam, because they keep people in power.

Systemic killing of Ahmadis became an alarming reality, especially Ahmadi doctors who served people selflessly were targeted. On 28 May 2010, two Ahmadi mosques packed full of worshippers in Lahore were simultaneously attacked by terrorists and atrocious carnage followed. As always, Ahmadis reacted with dignity and calm. Their response was exemplary and it must have made those who had perpetrated these attacks with a different agenda to froth at the mouth.

Meanwhile, the spiritual leadership of Ahmadiyya community has been in the UK since 1984. Vicious schemes were/are hatched against it which makes return not at all viable. Successive UK governments have been immensely understanding of our plight. Some politicians, especially Lord Avebury is amazing in his support. In Britain Ahmadis enjoy religious freedom which was denied to them in Pakistan, homeland to the majority of them, in principle in 1974 and was curtailed in 1984. Many Ahmadis have sought political asylum here as well as other European countries, with social justice in place, they have worked hard and gained in financial terms. Their peaceful and successful existence in the West became too much for the militant, extremist mullah, who had set out to exterminate them.

Hence, the export of ‘anti-Ahmadiyya’ baggage to the UK came to the fore in the past two years, after we commemorated 100 years of Khilafat (spiritual leadership) and publically thanked the British government. We spoke up on our belief of peace and the British media took note. This was anathema to the extremist Muslims. Their thunder was stolen. The first visible sign of organised ‘anti-Ahmadiyya’ activity in the UK was when leaflets calling Ahmadis ‘liable to be killed’ were distributed in broad day light in Kingston, Surrey. There were also incidences of Ahmadi Muslims barred from restaurants run by ‘Pakistani’ British Muslims. But in their blind prejudice they had forgotten this was the UK where human rights prevailed and rule of law was upheld.

The anti-Ahmadiyya lobby and persecution, led by the politicised extremist mullah has spread to other countries, like Bangladesh and Indonesia, but so far, the decent people of these countries are resisting the horrendous idea of denying people freedom of religion.